Shen Shaomin: Keep Upright

Klein Sun Gallery is pleased to announce Keep Upright, its fourth solo exhibition for leading conceptual artist Shen Shaomin on view from March 4th through April 29th, 2017.

Delving into the “pre-installation” condition of art, Shen Shaomin presents his latest paintings—referred to as The MoMA Series—in this exhibition. Rendering the paintings as if they were wrapped in protective plastic packaging, ready to be shipped, Shen Shaomin further expands the trompe l'oeil, reproducing iconic paintings from influential artistic movements such as Cubism, Surrealism, and Abstract Impressionism. As indicated by the title, paintings from this series are drawn from MoMA’s extensive collection. “Removing” the paintings from the renowned collection, Shen Shaomin then “repacks” and transfers them into the physical space and the context of a gallery, highlighting the economic circulation of art. Copying the famous paintings in art history acquired by major museums, the artist issues an institutional critique where he challenges the preservation of the classics, as well as the promotion by institutions of “celebrity” art works.

This reflective thinking is also expressed through Faded Classic-Left Over Fish, the artist’s brand new series that debuts at the gallery. Shen Shaomin reproduces the paintings such as Still Life with Cat and Fish (1728) , Still Life with Fish, Candle, Artichokes, Crabs and Shrimp (1611), and Still Life with Fish, Oysters and Cat (first half of the 17th century). Intentionally excluding the fish depicted in the original paintings, Shen Shaomin then juxtaposes their absence with mechanical fish in motion underneath the paintings. Employing fish as a metaphor, which have been a widespread subject by painters since the Renaissance, Shen Shaomin does not merely subvert the classic, but also reminds us that we must depart from the present in order to transcend the past and the classic.

Shen Shaomin was born in Heilongjiang Province in 1956. He lives and works in Sydney, Australia and Beijing, China. His works has been exhibited in museum shows around the world, including recent exhibitions Almost There, Jorge B. Vargas Museum, University of the Philippines, Metro Manila, Philippines (2017); Busan Biennale, South Korea (2016); Chinese Whispers: Recent Art from the Sigg and M+ Collections, Kunstmuseum Bern, Switzerland (2016); Immortal Present: Art and East Asia, Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA (2015); Open Sea, Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon, France (2015); After Utopia: Revisiting the Ideal in Asian Contemporary Art, Singapore Art Museum (2015); Go East, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia (2015); There is no problem, Redtory Museum of Contemporary Art, Guangzhou, China (2015); So What, Breeze, White Box Museum of Art, Beijing, China (2014); Xinjiang Biennale, Urumqi, China (2014); Hot Pot: A Taste of Contemporary Chinese Art, Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, VT (2013); Go Figure: Contemporary Chinese Portraiture, Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Sydney, Australia (2012); Shanghai Biennale, China (2012); Guangzhou Triennial, China (2012); The First Kiev International Biennale of Contemporary Art, Ukraine (2012); Flora and Fauna: MAD about Nature, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY (2011); Dead or Alive, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY (2010), and 17th Biennale of Sydney, Australia (2010).

A fully illustrated catalog with an essay by Iona Whittaker accompanies this exhibition. The artist will be present for the opening reception on Saturday, March 4th from 12pm - 4pm. For press inquiries, please contact Rui Tang at the gallery or via email at rui@kleinsungallery.com. For all other inquiries, please contact Nicole Aiello at the gallery or via email at nicole@kleinsunagllery.com.

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March 4 – April 29, 2017

Press Release